Thursday, May 03, 2007

Safe Food Act 2007, Write Your Elected Officials

If you've been following my recent posts on the Safe Food Act and you'd like to support the bill by emailing your representatives, Congress.org (a private, non-partisan group that "specializes in facilitating civic participation") makes it easy:

Go to Congress.org

Enter your 9-digit zip code to find your officials.

Click the appropriate link in "Write to your Federal or State elected officials with one click."

A quick scan of the "Letters to Leaders" shows this one sent in by someone from Providence, RI. I suspect it was written by the Rhode Island Safe Food Initiative (RISFI) who offers it as suggested text you may use in support of the bill. I like it, although I think I may write something a little more personal, include a few more facts, maybe cut and paste my "It's Not OK" diatribe :)

Suggested text from Rhode Island Safe Food Initiative (RISFI):

"I'm writing to urge you to support the Safe Food Act of 2007 (HR 1148/S 654). The safety of our nation's food supply is increasingly at risk, as evidenced by the recent widespread outbreaks of foodborne illness and the February 2007 GAO report which determined that federal oversight of food safety is a high risk area which needs to be made more effective and accountable.

The Safe Food Act of 2007 will address many of the problems plaguing our current fragmented and antiquated federal food safety system by establishing a single Food Safety Administration and modernizing, consolidating, and strengthening Federal food safety laws and their enforcement. Please support the Safe Food Act of 2007 so that an effective Food Safety Administration may be established to resolve the growing, but preventable, epidemic of foodborne illness."